Nonprofit Marketing Workshop w/ Kelly Callahan-Poe

Tonight, we had the privilege of welcoming Kelly Callahan-Poe, Vice President of Account Management at Yes& Agency, for an exclusive nonprofit marketing workshop. She shared valuable strategies and real-world examples to help us sharpen our skills in the field.

With over 30 years of experience in marketing and advertising, Kelly has built an impressive career, working across industries from hospitality and fast food to nonprofits and government. Her expertise spans the country, working in cities like Washington, D.C., and San Francisco—though she revealed that San Francisco remains her favorite market.

Her knowledge, built from decades of industry experience, made for an engaging and informative session, leaving us with a deeper understanding of the ever-evolving world of nonprofit marketing.

What is Yes& Agency?

Yes&, recently acquired by Williams Whittle, is a dynamic PR and advertising agency based in Alexandria, Virginia, with a team of approximately 180 professionals. They specialize in creating innovative marketing and advertising strategies, working with a range of clients to bring their brands to life. From video production to creative campaigns, Yes& delivers impactful storytelling and strategic solutions—all under one roof.

What is a Nonprofit?

A nonprofit is a 501(c)(3) tax-empowered organization that reinvests all revenue into its mission instead of distributing profits. Well-known examples include the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and Feeding America.

What is Nonprofit Marketing?

Nonprofit marketing refers to the tactics and strategies nonprofit organizations use to raise donations and spread their message. It includes a wide range of activities, such as direct mail marketing, mobile marketing, content marketing, and social media marketing.

Nonprofit Marketing Insights:

Take advantage of your status
The mission is the motivator
The most persuasive marketing tool is a differentiating story that is easy to remember
Emotion is the most important driver in donor interaction
Individual stories make the biggest impression
Simplify and make it easy to take action
Localize it
Budgets go further with a mix of paid, earned and owned media
Stay relevant
Continually demonstrate tangible impact

Workshop Time!

For this activity, we were asked to consider how the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) could promote mattress recycling if it were legally mandated in Maryland—specifically among off-campus University of Maryland (UMD) students.

We formed small groups to brainstorm strategies, then came together to share our thoughts.

Strategies & Approaches:

Incentives: College students love free stuff! Offering gift cards, sports tickets, or discounts in exchange for recycling their mattresses could boost participation.
Convenience: Many students won’t go out of their way to recycle, so dedicated drop-off bins on or near campus, as well as curbside pickup services, would make the process easy and accessible.
Marketing & Advertising: A creative campaign could reframe mattress recycling as part of a college milestone—"Move on from your twin mattress and graduate to something bigger and better!" Social media, student influencers, and campus events could help spread awareness.
Partnerships & Collaboration: Teaming up with local businesses, furniture retailers, or moving companies could provide additional incentives and discounts.
Hiring a Pickup Service: To remove any hassle, MRC could hire a company to handle mattress pickups directly from students' residences.

By making recycling easy, rewarding, and engaging, the MRC could successfully encourage UMD students to embrace sustainable mattress disposal.

Closing Thoughts

As Kelly wrapped up her presentation, she let us know that she also hosts a podcast called "Two Marketing Moms". Through this platform, she helps students, especially young women, navigate the world of advertising and marketing.

Kelly’s mission is to provide the guidance and support she wishes she had when starting out. Her podcast covers everything from landing internships and acing interviews to building confidence, maintaining professionalism, and learning from both successes and failures.

Her message was clear: Follow your passions and chase the career you truly want! And for those interested in nonprofit marketing, she emphasized, D.C. is the place to be!

With a final, powerful statement, she reminded us: “My audience is YOU.”

Important Tip

She emphasizes a crucial tip for college students: BE CONFIDENT. Even if you don’t feel it, project confidence because people notice. You may not know how to do a job right away, but you’ll figure it out. Employers are drawn to those who instill confidence, energy, enthusiasm, and positivity.

As an intern, your greatest asset is your fresh ideas and unique perspective. That’s what makes you valuable. She encouraged us to stay broad in your skill set right now. The more skills you develop, the more employable you’ll be in the future.

AMA would like to thank Kelly Callahan-Poe for sharing her expertise with us today! The workshop she led was thoroughly detailed and offered invaluable guidance on nonprofit marketing and key strategies to grow and thrive in the industry.

-Skyler Klein